Cuentos de Lagunas
by Velasco
Summary: At the age of 3, Harry Potter was rather resigned to his lot in life. He was his cousin's punching bag and the object of his uncle's indifference. Until one fateful day trip away from Privet Drive brought him to a family he could call his own. Sequential drabble format.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling and therefore do not own Harry Potter.

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Chapter 1

Mariela Diana Paredes Lujan had spent her life living in a quiet village deep in the Amazon of Peru. At almost three years old, all she knew was the clean air, trees taller than any building she had ever seen, the constant companionship of her older brothers, the warmth of her mother's hugs and the safety of her fathers arms. Everyday was filled with adventure as she and her brothers, Juan, Julian, and Jorge, frolicked in the sun, climbing trees and disturbing the wildlife. To put it simply, her life was a magical one – rather fitting as she came from a long line of witches and wizards.

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Author's Note: There are roughly 24 pages of this story written so far and it is far from over - I have mulled over the plot for months. This will be a drabble format, all in sequential order and in varying lengths. Updates will be sporadic. Enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2

June 1, 1983

Part 1

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"Juan Dalmacio, Julian, Jorge, Maria! Come into the kitchen!"

The four siblings looked at each other, their mother never called for them to come in so early into their morning playtime. Juan Dalmacio, as the oldest, was the first to remove himself from his spot on the tree and started to round up his younger siblings.

"Come on, lets move before mamà gets angry. You know she'll make us wash the dishes by hand."

Jorge grumbled and headed for their house, Julian closely behind until he realized their sister wasn't following them.

"Mariela! We have to hurry!"

"Juan, look! I can make the flowers dance!"

And indeed, the flowers that Mariela had been collecting were dancing in front of her. Her hazel eyes twinkled with delight and her curly light brown hair trembled in excitement.

"That's great, Mariela, but we have to start moving if you don't want mamà to get upset."

"Okay, I'm bringing the dancing flowers. Mamà will like them."

"She will. Do you want a piggyback ride?"

"Sí!"

With Mariela on his back, Juan Dalmacio was able to catch up with their brothers and together they raced back together to see what news their mother had.

* * *

Author's Note: Harry's appearance is several chapters away still, but he will be introduced soon.


	3. Chapter 3

June 1, 1983

Part 2

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Dahlia Lorena Lujan Ruiz de Paredes took a deep breath after she called out for her children to come back in. She knew how much they enjoyed being able to spend their time outside soaking in the sun and nature; she had enjoyed it herself when she was a young girl and still vividly remembered fishing in the rivers with her brothers. So she had an idea of how much the news she was about to give them would affect them, especially her boys.

Bracing herself against the kitchen table, Dahlia was so lost in her thoughts that she couldn't hear the telltale _swoosh _of the floo activating. She almost shrieked when she felt an arm wrap around her waist. Quickly turning around she was met with the tanned face of her husband, Juan Carlos Paredes Guiterrez. She looked into the familiar dark brown eyes that had so captivated her when she attended _Colegio Para el Progreso de los Niños Mágicos Peruanos, _and took in another deep breath.

"Juan Carlos! How dare you sneak up on me!"

"Calm down, I didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't scare me."

Juan Carlos snorted and ran a hand through his almost black hair, Dahlia was easy to sneak up on and startle, especially since she always had her head in the clouds. She had been that way since they were children attending school together.

Narrowing her eyes, Dahlia prepared another retort but the sound their children approaching gave her pause, something that Juan Carlos noticed.

"You're worrying over nothing. The children will be fine with the news."

Sighing as she decided to plait her curly black hair, "I know they'll be fine but I hate the idea of this even if it is the best for the family."

"Mamà! Look at how the flowers dance!" Mariela cried out from her position on her eldest brother's back. "Papà, you're home!"

Juan Carlos lowered his daughter from his son's back, placing her gently on the floor. "Let's see the flowers dance, sweetie."

Nodding, Mariela put the flowers on the floor in front of her and scrunched up her face in intense concentration. It wasn't long until the flowers floated in front of her and swirled about, dancing.

"Are they doing the marinera?" asked Jorge as he breathlessly entered the kitchen, Julian right behind him.

"No, its huayno!" Mariela corrected her brother.

"That's amazing," praised Dahlia.

Jorge, suddenly confused, asked, "Papà, why are you home?"

Juan Carlos gestured for all the children to take a seat around the kitchen table before taking a seat himself; Dahlia opting to perch on his lap.

"Your mother and I have big news for all of you. You all know that I work with magical creatures, to keep them and people – Magic and Muggle – safe. Well, I was recommended for a job working as the head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, and I got the job."

Watching the reactions of his children was amusing. Juan Dalmacio, he could tell, understood what he was heading towards, Jorge and Julian looked excited at the thought of magical creatures. Maria, on seeing her brother's reactions was nodding very vigorously but had no real understanding of what he was saying.

"Juan – "

"I'm getting there, Dahlia, no worries. This job isn't in the Peruvian Ministry, kids. We're going to be moving to the UK."

"In a week."

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Author's Note: Still no Harry yet, but at least they'll all be in the same country soon.


	4. Chapter 4

- June 7, 1983 -

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Dahlia took a seat on her bed as she ran through everything that was left to do until they left Peru. Her boys hadn't erupted at the news of the move although their magic was acting up more than usually and Mariela was excited about a new place to explore.

"Dahlia, are you in here?"

"Mamà Josefa, come in."

Her mother-in-law walked into the emptied bedroom. The photographs that decorated the walls had been packed away, and the clothes that occupied the closet were on their way.

"How are Juan Carlos and the children?"

"Juan Carlos is excited, this is an amazing opportunity for him. The Peruvian Ministry is filled with so much corruption these days, not to mention how dangerous these Muggles are too. The boys are a bit upset, they'll miss their cousins, and Mariela can't wait."

"And you, Dahlia?"

"I'm worried. All that nonsense with that Dark Lord a few years back has me a bit worried. But Juan Carlos says that man is dead and their Ministry is in need of someone with hands on experience."

"I'm sure you'll be fine. Now, would you like help packing? You're leaving tomorrow, right?"

"Yes, to both."

Hauling herself off the bed she followed her mother-in-law out and both women busied themselves with packing the last of the belongings. It wasn't until the last sock found its place that some of Dahlia's worry and stress eased away.


	5. Chapter 5

- June 8, 1983 -

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Holding onto Juan Dalmacio's hand tightly, Mariela stretched out her hand to the old Sublime wrapper. Looking up, she smiled at her father before opening up her eyes wide at the tug at her midsection. Everything blurred, until she landed onto something soft and squishy.

"Mariela, get off!"

"Sorry, Jorge!"

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic, Pardee Family. Is that right?"

"Close, it's Paredes," replied Juan Carlos in lightly accented English, "Now, there's supposed to be a Floo?"

"Yes, just outside this room and down the hall. First, if you and your wife could sign here and you can be on your way."

Keeping a tight grasp on her brother's hand as they walked down the hall, Mariela tried to take in as much as she could; all the witches and wizards particularly intrigued her.

In Peru, witches and wizards kept to small familial villages until they attended _Colegio Para el Progreso de los Niños Mágicos Peruanos_ located on the outskirts of Lima. After leaving school, Peruvian magical folk went back to the villages they came from, as living in thickly populated cities was too dangerous. There was a great deal of superstition in Peruvian culture and suspicion of _illicit activities_ ran rampant in the country. So to see such an overabundance of magical folk was fascinating to the almost-three-year-old.

Pulled to a sudden stop, Mariela realized that her parents had been talking for a while.

"Now, Juan Dalmacio, you will go through first with Julian, remember to say very clearly Viper's Tooth. Mariela, you'll go with your father and Jorge, you'll be with me."

Nodding eagerly, Mariela dropped her brother's hand and grabbed onto her fathers.


	6. Chapter 6

June 23, 1983

Part 1

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Mariela was frustrated. She missed the warm sun, the heat, and the dirt between her toes. They had been living in their new house for just over three weeks now and she wanted to explore. After all, there was only so much mischief she and her brothers could get up to when they were cooped up.

"Mariela! Come downstairs!" yelled Dahlia, "And remember your shoes!"

"We're going outside?"

"We're going to a museum."

Mariela looked confused. Looking at her brothers she could tell that they were a bit confused as well.

"We're headed to the Museum of London. It'll be good for you all to learn about the country you'll be living in," explained Dahlia.

"That sounds boring," complained Jorge and Julian in unison.

"Yeah, boring!" parroted Maria.

"You'll enjoy it, now get your shoes on and we'll head out."


	7. Chapter 7

June 23, 1983

Part 2

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"Boy, get in the kitchen right now!" yelled Vernon Dursley.

An almost three-year-old Harry Potter, blinked his eyes blearily. He had spent most of his night brushing spiders off his pillow and must have missed breakfast if his uncle's tone was any indication. Leaving his cupboard for the kitchen, Harry noticed the presents and realized what was going on.

"Good, now today we'll be celebrating Dudley's birthday and we'll head to the museum. Dudley's such a bright little tyke, and you could do with learning something new," explained Vernon.

Dudley preened under the attention and looked eager to discover what was meant by museum. Harry was careful to not look too excited and opted for pulling at the sleeve of his overlarge shirt.

"Put this on boy, we won't have anyone asking questions," said his aunt Petunia Dursley as she handed Harry a set of clean clothes. Harry nodded and headed back to his cupboard to change. "Hurry, we'll be headed out in five minutes."

Closing the cupboard, Harry quickly inspected the set of clothes. It was simple pair of jeans and a t-shirt but both were sized to fit his small frame better than what he usually wore. He changed quickly and waited by the door quietly until his uncle, aunt and cousin were ready and then they were out the door. Harry was strapped into Dudley's old car seat as he was so small for his age, and Dudley into his booster seat as he had not grown out of his beach ball tendency. Harry opted to look out the window, eager to enjoy the day and get away from his cousin who enjoyed playing rough.

It wasn't long before they made it to the Museum of London, Dudley was quickly bored but Harry couldn't get enough of the different exhibits. He was particularly fascinated by the Medieval London exhibit and it was here that he lost sight of his relatives.

Harry was nervous. He had never liked crowds much, and now that he had become separated from his relatives he wondered if they would bother to look for him. He knew that his aunt and uncle disliked him, the withheld meals and terrible hand me downs were evidence of that. His cousin used him as a punching bag without consequence. To keep from inciting their displeasure, Harry kept quiet and to himself.

Maybe that meant that they wouldn't leave him behind?

But if they did leave him behind, wouldn't that be amazing? He decided to not worry about it, there was still plenty of time for his aunt or uncle to find him. Lost in the exhibit, Harry never noticed the small girl that he was steadily approaching until they finally collided.


	8. Chapter 8

June 23, 1983

Part 3

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"Ouch!" cried out Mariela as she was knocked to the floor. She cradled her arms as she had thrown them out to catch herself and looked at the boy who had knocked into her. It was a small boy, with messy black hair and bright green eyes. He was about her size, but he looked skinnier and a touch afraid.

"Como te llamas?"

The boy looked confused, and she realized that he couldn't understand her. Grabbing onto his arm she dragged him over to her mother.

"Mamà, este niño me empujó!" said Mariela.

Dahlia looked the boy over and asked him, in thickly accented English, "What's your name?"

The boy stared back at her and just as she was about to repeat the question he replied in a small voice, "Harry."

"Are you alone?"

Harry didn't respond to the question.

"Juan Dalmacio, Julian, Jorge, ven conmigo!" said Dahlia as she grabbed Harry and Mariela's hands.

The three boys came into sight and followed after Dahlia as she led all the children to a help desk.

"Excuse me, sir, I found this boy alone. Could you help me find his family?" asked Dahlia.

* * *

Author's Note: There's one final part to this day left.


	9. Chapter 9

June 23, 1983

Part 4

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Harry was confused, the girl that he had knocked into was speaking very quickly in a language that was most definitely not English to three boys who he assumed where her brothers although they didn't at all resemble her. The small girl had light coloring, with curly light brown hair and hazel eyes. The boys however, had dark brown skin, with black hair and dark eyes; they greatly resembled their mother who had just as dark coloring. The girl was gesturing towards him now, which made him a bit worried. The boys were older and bigger than him, would they be upset with him for knocking her down?

"Harry? Did someone bring you here to the museum?" said Dahlia.

Harry only nodded in response to which Dahlia sighed. She turned back to the security guard, who in turned clicked on the speaker system.

"ATTENTION. A BOY WITH BLACK HAIR, GREEN EYES, WEARING BLUE JEANS AND A BROWN T-SHIRT HAS BEEN FOUND. PLEASE HEAD TO THE DESK IN THE MEDIEVAL LONDON EXHIBIT TO IDENTIFY HIM" blared over the loudspeaker system.

Harry jumped at the sound. He wondered if his aunt and uncle would actually pick him up. They weren't pleased with him sleeping in this morning, and they always complained about how much they cost him. He hardly noticed when the boys and girl circled around him.

"Harry?" said the girl. He nodded in response.

The girl then pointed at herself and said, "Mariela." She then pointed at the three boys standing next to her. "Juan, Julian, Jorge."

Harry nodded and repeated the names as he pointed at the correct child. They all broke out into identical smiles and began to chatter in the foreign language that he couldn't place again. As the girl grabbed his hand and started to say something he noticed someone familiar in the background.

It was his Aunt Petunia. Her blond hair had been pulled up, likely from running after Dudley, and she wore a strange look on her face. She took a step forward and then hesitated. A crowd of people blocked her from Harry's view and once they cleared he could no longer see her.


	10. Chapter 10

June 23, 1983

Part 5

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After spending two hours waiting for someone to arrive and claim Harry, Dahlia gathered all the children and walked towards the nearest police station. Dahlia couldn't believe what was happening, could someone have actually abandoned this sweet boy? Finally, she was able to locate a police station although she didn't hear anything she liked. After spending a few hours speaking to several police officers, she was able to gain temporary custody until someone came forward to claim Harry. Harry wasn't forthcoming about who had brought him to the museum, only giving his name, age and birthday.

"Mamà, are we going home now? We're hungry!" asked Juan Dalmacio.

"Can we bring Harry?" asked Mariela as she held onto Harry's hand.

Smiling Dahlia replied, "Yes, we're finally going home and we'll be bringing Harry with us. Harry, we're going to take you home with us, would you like that?"

Looking up with wide green eyes, Harry nodded yes.

"Good, hold onto my hand. I'll explain everything once we're home."

Dahlia had walked all of them to a rather drab looking pub. The inside had dim lighting and was filled with the quiet murmur of its occupants. All of who sported rather strange clothing. Leading all of them to a fireplace, Dahlia threw in powder from her pocket that turned the fire green.

"Jorge, you'll go with Julian. Remember to say it clearly." Said Dahlia.

Nodding earnestly Julian grabbed hold of his younger brother hand, the both of them entering the fireplace before saying, "Viper's Tooth!" They vanished in a swirl of green flames.

"Juan Dalmacio, take your sister." The ten-year-old stepped forward and pulled his sister forward before they too disappeared into the flames.

"Harry, I'll be needing you to hold onto my hand very tight. Keep your eyes closed too," explained Dahlia.

Looking very apprehensive, Harry did as ordered. The green flames tickled as they entered the fireplace. He closed his eyes tightly as he heard Dahlia say, "Viper's Tooth."

They spun about quickly until they finally slowed down. When Dahlia picked him up, Harry opened his eyes.

"Not so bad, right?" said Dahlia as she moved to brush off the soot that had gathered in his clothing. "Children, head upstairs and get ready for dinner."

The children disappeared in a cloud of noise as Dahlia settled Harry into one of the chairs surrounding the kitchen table. "Harry, dear, I would like to explain a few things to you."

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Author's Note: And there we have it. Harry has joined the Paredes'. I have been thinking about writing a piece from Petunia's POV about her feelings towards Harry, although that might be a stand-alone piece as opposed to another chapter here. She may also make an appearance, but not for a very long while.


	11. Chapter 11

July 1, 1983

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Harry could hardly believe how his life had changed in just a matter of days. First, with his aunt abandoning him at the museum. He couldn't believe that she would actually do it, even if he had dreamed about living with his parents in a loving family. Second, that he was living with a loving family. The Paredes family was very welcoming to Harry, and despite the language barrier, he spent most of his days playing with the children. And third, that magic was real.

Dahlia had spent a few hours explaining about the magical world, and that she was a witch, her husband a wizard, and their children had also inherited the ability to wield magic. Harry could hardly believe it all; it certainly explained how they were able to get from London to their home in just a matter of seconds.

Aside from explaining the magical world, she also went on to explain that he would be living with them until someone came forward to claim him. (Although it was very clear that he had in fact been abandoned.) If no one did come forward, she would discuss Harry staying with them permanently with her husband. Harry was confident that his aunt and uncle would not look for him.


	12. Chapter 12

July 5, 1983

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"Harry! Come play!" cried out Mariela.

Looking up from the picture book Dahlia had given him, Harry responded, "'kay. I'll play!"

He ran after Mariela, who ducked quickly out of sight and hardly believed his life. He had played every day with children his own age, and was quickly picking up Spanish; almost as quickly as the other kids were picking up English. He wound up outside and looked up at the trees surrounding the house.

"Here!" called out Mariela. He looked to his left and found her halfway up a tree. He climbed slowly, still not used to the action, until he reached the branch below Mariela. He had learned quickly that Mariela was an expert climber of trees; his first attempt required the assistance of Mr. Paredes to get down. They spent part of their afternoon climbing trees, until the older boys joined them. After that they spent their time racing around the property until they collapsed in a heap in the living room. Life was good for Harry Potter.


	13. Chapter 13

July 19, 1983

Part 1

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Harry had spent the morning reading and learning Spanish as the Paredes children did the same although they spent time practicing their English. They took a brief break before lunch that Harry was eagerly looking forward too; he was greatly enjoying the regular and filling meals. Harry was laying on the floor coloring with Mariela. Jorge settled down to join them in coloring, while Juan Dalmacio and Julian read on the couch above them. Harry looked back at the picture he was working on before reaching for a red crayon not too far from him. Just as he was about to close his fingers around it, Jorge snatched it away.

"Hey! I want that!" cried out Harry.

Sticking out his tongue, Jorge replied, "Too bad" before concentrating on drawing.

Curling small fingers into fists, Harry cried out "I want that!"

"No."

Getting to his feet with his fists clenched by his side, Harry cried out again for the crayon.


	14. Chapter 14

July 19, 1983

Part 2

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Juan Dalmacio noticed it first. The slight tremble of the loose crayons on the floor at Harry's first protest, and the next he noticed the crayons coming up off the floor. As Jorge and Mariela were quietly drawing, Jorge a bit smug, he knew it could only be one person responsible for the levitating crayons.

"Jorge."

But it was too late. With Harry's last cry, the crayons pelted Jorge.

"Oyé! Que fue eso!" yelled Jorge.

"Harry?"

"I'm sorry," said Harry quietly.

"It's okay, dear. This means that you can do magic. You're a wizard, Harry," explained Dahlia from the room's doorway.


	15. Chapter 15

July 19, 1983

Part 3

* * *

"He's a wizard?"

"Yes, Juan. Mariela has been showing him tricks since lunchtime; his magic is very strong," explained Dahlia. "Juan Carlos, what's wrong?"

Juan Carlos had gone very quiet and still and at her question he jumped as if startled, "I heard something when I was work today." As he opened his mouth to explain a crash was heard in the adjacent room.

* * *

_Author's Note: The news of Voldemort never did make its way completely to Peru, particularly the details of his defeat. The Peruvian Magical Government, much like their Muggle counterpart, was dealing with corruption and scandal when Voldemort rose to power. It's this same issue that drove Juan Carlos to find employment outside of Peru._


	16. Chapter 16

July 22, 1983

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"Juan Dalmacio was doing some reading today."

"Really?"

"Juan, he found something about a boy named Harry Potter who defeated a dark wizard."

Juan Carlos looked up from the Daily Prophet he had been reading, "That dark wizard that was causing trouble here a few years ago?"

"Yes."

Looking at her husband carefully Dahlia continued, "Is this what you wanted to tell me about the other day?"

"Juan Carlos, explain to me now what you know."

"There were some men talking about it a few days ago. That dark wizard came to their house; He tried to kill him after He killed his parents. Dahlia," Juan Carlos paused. "He should be dead, but he survived somehow."

"No."

"Dahlia, they call him the boy who lived."

Hugging herself as if suddenly chilled, Dahlia shook her head. "What do we tell him? The rest of the children? What should we do?"

"We'll take him in, just as we planned. We won't treat him any differently. He deserves that, Dahlia." Juan Carlos hugged Dahlia close and said, "We'll tell the children the truth. A dark wizard tried to hurt Harry and we need to keep him safe."

Dahlia nodded in agreement and returned Juan Carlos' hug.


End file.
